Anti-mould paint additives

krlyr

Our house is a bit prone to mould on the north facing walls. Think the main culprit is condensation so we are tackling the issue with heating and ventilation, wiping down the windows etc. and seem to be winning the battle for the most part.
However, I've been looking at paints and spotted some anti-mould products you can add to regular paint. Just wondering if these were something worth using to prevent mould returning in the most prone corners.
Are they any good? Can they be added to most paints? I'm thinking of going with something like Dulux Diamond for the wipeability (owning two dogs, the walls get a bit dirty).

dampdaveski

Hi Krylyr,
I use them all the time in tenanted properties, they are perfect for what you describe
Pre mixed anti mould paints sold by the manufacturers in my opinion is an absolute rip off, they just use it as an excuse to put a hefty profit margin on, hence the reason why you won't see seperate paint additives on sale in paint shops / trade centres

The one I use can be added to almost any type of paint, including gloss, vinyl silk, matt emulsion, undercoat etc.
the only thing I won't add it to is clear varnish as it has the chance of making it slightly cloudy

Suppliers of the one I use are
http://www.twistfix.co.uk/products/mould-removal/fungicidal-paint-additive-mc3-product.html?gclid=CJe04Irvo7QCFcbLtAodlV8A9w

http://condensationproducts.co.uk/aspbite/categories/index.asp?intCatID=48&content=anti_mould_paint_additives

Don't forget to check the postage though!

good luck
DD

krlyr

Thanks DD

littlesnuggy

The absolute best anti-mould paints are from ACS, which from experience are far superior to anything bought off the shelf at DIY places

(website seems to be down but cached version here http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.acslimited.co.uk/mould-condensation-control.htm)

krlyr

Thanks for the link littlesnuggy. I do really need something proven to be wipeable though as the current paintjob is looking a bit minging with the mud the dogs brush up it (not to mention the odd dog bogey - yuck!) which is why I was thinking of adding an additive to the Dulux Diamond Matt stuff (got my eye on some cheap tins locally on Ebay at the mo)

nickj_2

if you are thinking of using dulux diamond , you might just as well save your cash and buy the regulardulux trade soft sheen or silk finish ,
if you want an anti mould paint then perma white made by zinnser will do the job , it can be tinted , go to a builders merchant or a proper paint merchant rather than a diy store, i9t's guaranteed to stop mould for 5 years

krlyr

Thanks nickj but I want a matt finish to it. The Diamond Matt seems to have good reviews on here/online for being easy to wipe down which is my main consideration (already had to add another coat a couple of times in the last year to get rid of doggy-related dirt stains as they won't wipe off). I wouldn't be paying full price for it either, I can't stretch to much paintwise, it's only if I manage to nab a bargain off Ebay that I'll go ahead at the mo.
Fortunately the walls aren't too bad so I don't think I'd need to worry too much about going for a top notch anti-mould paint but the additives seemed fairly cheap and was thinking if they'd do no harm to the paint's finish then it may be worth adding some. They're not massive rooms and I was thinking I could just add it to enough paint to do the exterior walls as these are the only ones affected. That way one bottle would go quite a long way, much more in my budget than whole tins of anti-mould paint.